Rotary engine.



s.- A. MILES.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLIOATIOKI'ILBD OUT. 7, 1909.

Patented Apr. 5,191.0.

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S. A, MILES. I ROTARYYE NGINE. APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 7, 1909,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL A. MILES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 19110.

Application filed October 7, 1909. Serial 110-521,496.

engines of the rotary type and has for its objectto provide an engine ofthis type which may be driven by any suitable working fluid such assteam, gas, or water, and which includes a revoluble element or wheeladapted to form an abutment for the motive fluid whereby the motivefluid is caused to drive the piston in the proper direction.

A. further object of the invention is to provide means for turning therotary element one notch forward at the proper time and at" eachrevolution of the piston.

A still further, and one of the principal objects of the invention is toprovide a locking mechanism for locking the rotary element againstrotation and'for releasing saidelement at certain periods during therevolution of the piston.

Another object of the invention is to proride. a feeding device for thesteam or motive fluid adapted to so control the passage of such fluidinto the piston chamber that the piston may ,be-driven in eitherdirection with equal efiiciency.

Vi ith the foregoing. and other objects in View, the invention consistsof certain novel features of construction, combination and.

arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described and particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 's-a. perspective iew of acomplete rotary T en ine, embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 1s asideelevation thereof; Fig. 3 1s a .similar view with the cover plateremoved showing thenormal position of the abutment forming member andthe piston at tion of the complete device; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectionthrough the casing showing the abutment forming'member and the piston inelevation and showing the position of the piston when about to e actedupon by a which it apper-- new charge of the steam or other motivefluid; Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal section of the feeding devicefor the motive fiuid; Fig. 7 is an edge elevationof the operating camfor the locking pin; *and,

-Fig. 8 is a horizontal 'section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7. p

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description of theinvention, the device comprises a casing having a lower cylindrical body1 and an upper cylindrical head or portion 2,- which form the main andsecondary piston and abutmentchambers 3 and 4, respectively. Thesechambers are closed in at opposite sides by the'removable cover plates5, which are secured in position by the screws 6 or other equivalentmeans. The main or power shaft 7 extends centrally through theiston'chamber 3 and has keyed to one end a y-wheel 8. of any suitableform. The piston 9 comprises a cylindrical body 10 rovided with a pistonhead 11, which wor rs against the wall of the piston chamber. A rotarywheel If is mounted upon the shaft 13 extending through the secondarychamber 4 with Its ends mounted in the bearings 14 of the cover plates.Thiswheel is provided with a'series of radially projecting outwardlytapering arms-or blades 16 which work against the inner surface of thesecondarychamber and one of which fit's against the periphery of thebody 10 of the piston and forms an abutment for. the in coming steam orother motive fluid.

The motive fluid is admitted into the piston chamber at a point betweenthe arm 01' blade of the rotary Wheel in abutment forming position, andthe piston head 11' throu 11 either ofthe ports 17 and 18, res ctive y,either of which is adapted to act as an inlet port, or the exhaust'port, depending on which direction the piston is to-be driven.

Steam is admitted to and discharged from the portsl'? and 18 b the pipes19and' 20, the upper ends of wiich are suitably connected with a steamchamber or casing 21. Steam ipes 22 and 23, respectively, extendvertically from the top of the steam chamher or casin 21 in alinementwith the pipes" 19 and 20, w ile asteam pipe 24 is connected with thetop of the steam casin 21' between the pipes 22 and 23. A'cylin 'ricalhollow slide valve 25 is mounted in the steam casing 21 and is providedinits to and near opposits ends with a pair of in et 0 Ill! 26 and27,mspectively,eitherof whic is a apted to be brought into'registrationwith the lower end of the supply pipe 24. The slide valve 25 is alsoprovided in its bottom with the discharge port 28, which is adapted tobe brought into registration with the upper end of either of the pipes19 and 20. WVhen the inlet port 27 of the slide valve is moved intoregistration with the supply pipe I 24;, the discharge opening 28 ofsaid valve is brought in registration with the supply pipe 19, in whichcase steam is fed into the piston chamber through the inlet port- 17 anddrives the piston to the left, the exhaust steam passing through theport 18 and through the pipe 20 and steam casing 21 to the pipe 23which, under these conditions, acts as an exhaust.

Should it be desired to reverse the direction of rotation of the piston,the slide valve is moved to the opposite end of the steam casing, whichbrings the inlet opening 26 of said valve into re istration with thesupply pipe 24 and the discharge opening 28 in registration with thepipe 20, when steam will be admitted into the piston chamber through theport 18 and exhausted from the piston chamber through the port 17, Theslide valve is provided with a handle 29 which extends through one endof the, steam casing and is provided with the hand wheel 30 forconvenience of operation. The rotary wheel 12 is held stationary bysuitable locking means, which will be hereinafter described, while thepiston is making its revolution, but when the piston nearly reaches orcompletes its revolution, the rotary wheel is released by said lockingmeans and is turned by means of the piston head to bring the next arm orblade 16 thereof into the position assumed by the previous one when thelocking mechanism again operates to hold the rotary wheel in stationaryposition until the piston nearly completes its next revolution.

The locking means comprises a longitudinally movable locking pincomprising a cylindrical body 31, which works in a tubular extension 32projecting from one of the cover plates 5, and a reduced engagingportion '33, which extends through the cover plate and is adapted toengage any one of .the recesses or sockets 34 formed in the front facesof the arms or blades of the rotary wheel 12. The locking pin isintermittently released from the sockets or recesses at the proper timein the operation of the engine by a pin releasing member comprising astem 35 which extends through the slots 36 of the tubularextension 32and the body 81 of the locking pin, and a cylindrical head 37 at one endof said stem which fits in the cam groove 38 of the cam wheel 39 whichis keyed to the power shaft. The inner edge of the cam wheel is suitablnotched, as at &1, so that when first appli in position the should thisbe found necessary.

head of the pin releasing member is permitted to slip in the groove 38thereof. It will be evident that this notch or recess also provides forthe removal of the cam wheel The coil spring 42 may be arranged in theouter end of the tubular extension 32 to bear against the body of thelocking pin to compensate for any lost motion due to wear between thehead of the pin releasing member and the walls of the groove 38 of thecam wheel,

It will be understood that while the piston is provided with but onepiston head, the same may be provided with two heads,.1f necessary.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings,

the construction and operation of the invention will be readilyunderstood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changesm the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in theappended-claims. For instance, while I have described the invention asan engine for gen erating power, it is obvious that if power istransmitted to the device by a separate engine or motor, said device maybe used as a rotary pump or blower.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a

casing formed with main and secondary chambers, a piston provided with apiston head rotatably mounted in the main chamber of the casing, arotary wheel provided with a series of rotary arms or blades r0-'tatably mounted in the secondary chamber tion, a releasing device forsaid pin, and a cam wheel keyed to the power shaft and hav ing a camgroove to receive the head of the pin releasing member.

2. In a device of the class described, a casin formed with main andsecondary cham er's, a piston provided with a piston head rotatablymounted in the main chamber of the casing, a rotary,wheel provided witha series of rotary arms or blades rotatably mounted in the secondarychamber of the casing, each of said blades being provided in one facewith a socket, and adapted, in its turn, to fit against the body of thepis ton and form an abutment, means for sapplying a motive fluid to thepiston chamber at a point between the piston head and the arm or bladewhich is in abutment forming 'position, a locking device comprising alongitudinally movable locking pin adapted to engage the socket in theblade of the rotary wheel which is in abutment forming position, a pinreleasing device comprising a stem extending through the pin and a headat one end of said stem, and a cam wheel keyed to the power shaft andhaving a'cam groove to receive'the head of the pin releasmg member.

3. I11 a device of the class described, a casing formed with main andsecondary chambers, a piston provided with a piston head rotatablymounted in the main chamber of the casing, a rotary wheel provided witha series of rotary arms or blades rotatably mounted in the secondarychamber of the casing, each of said blades being provided in one facewith a socket, and adapted, in its turn, to lit-against the body of thepiston and form an abutment, meansfor supplying a motive fluid to thepiston chamber at-a point between the-piston head and the arm or bladewhich is in .abutment forming position, a tubular extension projectingfrom one side of the casing, a locking pin having a cylindrical bodymounted in said extension and a reduced portion adapted to engage thesocket in the blade of the rotary wheel which is in abutment formingposition, a pin releasing device comprising a stem extending throughsaid tubular extension and the body of the locking pin, and a head atone end of said stem, and a cam wheel keyed to the power shaft andhaving a cam groove to receive the head of the pin releasing member.

I. In av device of the class described, a casin formed with main andsecondary chambers, a piston provided with a piston head rotatablymounted in the main chamber of the casing, a rotary wheel provided witha series of rotary arms or blades rotatably mounted in the secondarychamber of the casing, each. of said blades being provided in one facewith a socket, and adapted, in its turn, to fit against the body of thepiston and form an abutment, means for supplying a motive fluid to thepiston chamber at a point between the piston head and the arm or bladewhich is in abutment forming position, a tubular extension projectingfrom one side of the casing, a locking pin having a cylindrical bodymounted in said extension and a reduced portion adapted to engage thesocket in the blade of the rotary wheel which is in abutment formingposition, a pin releasing device comprising a stem extending throughsaid tubular extension and the body of the locking pin, and a head atone end of said stem, a cam wheel keyed to the power shaftand having ,acam groove to receive the head of the pin releasing member, and a'spring arranged in the tubular extension to bear against the body of thelocking pin, said spring adapted to compensate for any lost motionldueto wear between the head of the pin and the walls 'ofthe cam groove.

5. In a rotary engine, a casing comprising main and secondary chambers,a piston having a piston head mounted in the main chamber of the casing,a rotarywheel provided with a series of outwardly tapering radial bladesmounted in the secondary chamber of the casing, each of said bladeshaving straight sides and rounded outer corners, and the piston headhaving convex sides whereby both sides of the piston head are caused toclosely fit the opposed faces of an adjacent pair of blades when therotary wheel is turned. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL A. MILES. [L. 8.]

Witnesses:

' WILLIAM J. THoMAs, EDWARD B. GANN.

